After finally shaking off Uzui—the one person who made his skin crawl just by standing nearby—Hiru felt as though the air itself had grown fresher. When he arrived at the courtyard where the meeting was to be held, he noticed a familiar face among the gathered Hashira.
"Ah, Hiru, you're here?" Sabito lifted a hand. "The little brat you saved back then became a Hashira too, you know?"
"What do you mean, 'little brat'…? That way of saying it really gets on my nerves."
"Come on, Sanemi—you really were a little brat back then. And besides, I'm the senior disciple of the Sagiri Mountain line, got it? Senior disciple."
"I'm not a Water Breathing swordsman," Sanemi replied curtly. He then turned to look at Hiru. "I heard you got hit by a Blood Demon Art. You recovered?"
"Yeah. I'm fine now." Hiru studied him. "Weren't you desperate to become a Hashira before? Why do you look so sour now?"
"...Nothing." Sanemi turned his head away. "Just suddenly feels pointless."
"Did a demon say something strange to you?" Hiru frowned. "Demons are good at shaking people's hearts."
"...Who knows." Sanemi clicked his tongue irritably and glanced toward the entrance, where Yoriichi and Uzui were walking in. "Is everyone here?"
Hiru looked around. "The Stone Hashira, Himejima, isn't here yet."
"His presence is already nearby. He'll arrive soon," Yoriichi said as he approached. He looked at Sanemi. "Congratulations."
"There's nothing to congratulate," Sanemi muttered, turning away. "The one who should've become a Hashira wasn't me."
Seeing the gloom settling over Sanemi's face, Hiru had a bad feeling that today's Hashira Meeting wouldn't end peacefully.
But suffering wasn't something others could judge from the outside. Hiru figured that, aside from stepping in if people started throwing punches, there wasn't much he could do. After sweeping the area with his gaze, he quietly moved to stand beside Tomioka, joining him in becoming little more than decoration.
Tomioka glanced at Hiru, then at the crowd, a hint of confusion in his eyes. In the end, he said nothing and continued standing there, unmoving.
Almost at the same moment the Stone Hashira arrived, the sliding paper doors opened. Ubuyashiki stepped out at an unhurried pace.
"The weather is truly pleasant today," he said gently. "I'm very glad that everyone has gathered here once again without exception. And this time, a new swordsman has also become a Hashira…"
Hiru didn't listen to the rest. His attention drifted to the children standing beside Ubuyashiki. The usual attendants, Hinaki and Nichika, had been replaced—one was a white-haired girl, the other a black-haired… boy? Or girl?
[Smells like a boy, but wearing girls' clothes, and even acting like a girl… Is this some strange taste of the Ubuyashiki family?]
With that thought, Hiru followed the others in kneeling halfway to offer congratulations and bow. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Sanemi hadn't knelt at all. His fists were clenched tightly, veins bulging at his temples.
"Well then, Ubuyashiki-sama," Sanemi said coldly. "You really seem to be living quite comfortably."
[Ah. Here it comes.]
Hiru's gaze swept over the group. His brother merely tilted his head toward Sanemi. Tomioka remained as expressionless as a still pond. Uzui's eyes turned sharp, while Sabito looked genuinely taken aback. Even the usually gentle Kanae frowned slightly. The strongest reaction, however, came from Himejima Gyomei.
The prayer beads he constantly rolled between his fingers let out a crisp cracking sound. It wasn't loud, but everyone could feel the anger behind it.
"Shinazugawa," he said, "your words are highly inappropriate."
"It's fine, Gyomei. I don't mind," Ubuyashiki replied calmly, his face still bearing that gentle, tolerant smile. "Let him speak."
"But… Oyakata-sama…"
"Kanae, you needn't worry either." Ubuyashiki gave a reassuring nod to everyone, then turned his gaze back to Sanemi. "Please, go on."
"Hah…" Sanemi laughed bitterly. "I'm saying, Ubuyashiki-sama, while we're out there risking our lives, you sit here smiling.
"You don't have to dirty your hands. You don't have to put your life on the line. You just sit high up in your hall, issuing orders to us like it's nothing…" He sneered. "Couldn't you at least pretend to look sad?
"Or is even that much fake sympathy too much effort? Then again, maybe to you, the Corps members are just disposable pawns.
"I can tell just by looking—you've never trained in any martial arts, have you? And someone like you gets to be the head of the Demon Slayer Corps? What a joke. It makes me sick."
Hiru saw veins stand out on Himejima's arms, and Uzui's hand had already reached for his sword hilt.
[For someone with a bandit face, he's surprisingly eloquent when he's cursing… I'd better be ready to step in.]
Ubuyashiki lowered his eyes slightly, then raised them again to meet Sanemi's gaze.
"I'm truly sorry…"
"Huh?"
"I once tried to wield a sword myself," Ubuyashiki continued softly. "But I couldn't even manage ten swings before my breathing and heartbeat fell into complete chaos. If it were possible, I would also like to become a swordsman like you—someone who could protect others with his own strength, fighting alongside you…"
He lowered his gaze.
"But after repeated attempts, I simply couldn't do it. And so, even now, all I can do is entrust the arduous and dangerous tasks to all of you.
"If the swordsmen are disposable pawns, then without a doubt, I am one as well. With no combat ability at all, even if I were to die, it would have no impact on the Demon Slayer Corps. A successor has long since been prepared.
"I am not someone noble. Everything you do comes from your own will, not from obligation. If you are unwilling, you may interact with me in whatever manner you choose. Compared to such trivial matters, what I truly wish is for Sanemi, as a Hashira, to protect more innocent people. That is my only hope at present.
"I am truly sorry to have summoned you to this meeting so soon after Masachika's sacrifice. Having just survived a fierce battle and then losing a close friend… you must be in great pain."
"How can someone like you—"
"Sanemi-kun," Kanae said softly, lifting her head to look at him. "Oyakata-sama remembers the name and life story of every swordsman who has fallen since he became head of the Corps."
"I'll add something as well." Hiru looked straight at Sanemi. "I'm one of Oyakata-sama's attending physicians. I can tell you responsibly that the fact he's even alive is a medical miracle. While he can't slay demons, the hatred he bears toward them—and the suffering he endures—are no less than any swordsman's.
"And the reason the Demon Slayer Corps can operate with so much leeway, without everyone worrying about food and clothing while they fight, is because the Ubuyashiki family continuously provides the funds that keep everything running."
"This is all I can do," Ubuyashiki said, nodding to Hiru before standing up and facing Sanemi. "In fact, every member of the Demon Slayer Corps writes their will before each mission. Masachika did the same."
He stepped down and stopped in front of Sanemi, holding the letter in both hands.
"Masachika's entire family was killed by demons. Yet in his letter, he wrote again and again of his hope that one day, there would be no more demons in this world. He wished for those he cherished to live their lives with smiles on their faces. Even if that day came after he was gone, he still hoped they would live on, and live well."